The primary goal of this review is to explore both the fundamental dynamics of moisture ingress and practical strategies for its mitigation. Moisture ingress remains a critical issue due to its impact on the structural integrity of buildings and the health and safety of occupants. This work adopts a systematic approach, focusing on key mechanisms of water transport—capillary action, vapour diffusion, and condensation—and how different parameters influence the process of moisture transport. Moisture ingress, whether through direct leakage, capillary action, air infiltration, or vapour diffusion, poses significant risks to the premature degradation of building envelope materials. In this study, emphasis has been placed on describing the methods for controlling liquid water movement, preventing condensation, and using moisture-resistant materials. Additionally in this study, the advanced design and hygrothermal performance simulation tools are examined; the use of such tools is considered essential for predicting and managing moisture-related issues in building envelopes. Finally, the significance of complying with moisture control standards and guidelines is highlighted, ensuring a comprehensive framework for effective moisture management in building design and maintenance. Beyond this review, key knowledge gaps in moisture control strategies have been identified, particularly in respect to material performance, the accuracy of predictive modeling, and the standardization of mitigation techniques. Addressing these gaps is essential for advancing building design, maintenance practices, and regulatory frameworks that together combine to enhance moisture resilience.

Moisture ingress is a critical concern in buildings, as it may profoundly affect structural integrity, the energy efficiency of a building, and as well the quality of the indoor environment that, in turn, could influence the health and safety of building occupants. Moisture ingress can occur during any phase in the lifecycle of a building component, where environmental loads, such as precipitation, wind, snow, and elevated relative humidity, play a fundamental role in affecting the building structure. Climate change exacerbates the issue of moisture ingress by intensifying these loads. In this review paper, the statistical perspective on publications related to moisture ingress in building envelope materials (BEMs) was first assessed through a scientometric study. All relevant publications were gathered and manually filtered, and the selected papers were categorized based on the topics discussed. The results of the scientometric study, as presented in this paper, include a bar chart in which the number of publications in each category is illustrated; a science journal mapping diagram showing the interdisciplinary connections of the research; a cluster map depicting the network between topics; and an R&D momentum analysis reflecting the rate of growth and publication count in this field. Given the strong focus on material properties, this review also examines experimental methods for characterizing moisture transport properties in building materials used in BEMs. Additionally, the differences between various codes and standards centered on this topic are reviewed and discussed. This combined strategy is intended to comprehensively evaluate available information and approaches to permit identifying the knowledge gaps that need to be addressed.

Wood is susceptible to various degradation mechanisms when exposed to dynamic environmental conditions, including hydrolysis caused by the infiltration of water into the wood cell structure. This study aims to examine the differences between the effects of two types of accelerated aging on the long-term performance of white spruce wood samples to have a better understanding of the performance of spruce wood in real-world applications. Two separate sets of samples were employed in this experimental study. One set was placed in a hydrolytic aging chamber at 90 °C and 80% relative humidity while the other set was placed in a freeze-thaw cycling chamber with temperature variations from 25 °C to -18 °C at a rate of 6 cycles per day. The aged samples were tested at regular intervals, with a testing span of 3 months for the hydrolytically aged samples and 300 cycles for the freeze-thaw aged samples. The results obtained from characterization tests showed that both aging conditions caused a significant increase in the crystallinity index of the samples. This finding highlights the potential value of subjecting wood to these conditions as a pre-treatment to standardize crystallinity levels for experimental purposes. Ultimately, the hydrolytic aging conditions were found to be more detrimental to the spruce wood samples. The samples that underwent hydrolytic aging demonstrated higher water uptake levels, lower viscoelastic properties, and lower thermal degradation temperatures than the samples that were subjected to freeze-thaw cycling.

Three room-temperature fluid-applied silicone membranes intended for application in building envelopes were studied in this work. The membranes were subjected to accelerated UV and moisture aging for 5000 h to evaluate their resistance to long-term aging. The properties of the membranes were studied to understand the degradation mechanisms that might occur during accelerated aging. The weight loss, wetting propensity, cracking and oxidation resistance, and storage modulus were measured at different intervals during 5000 h of aging. Based on the material characterization results, the silicone membranes proved to be resilient under aggressive accelerated UV radiation and moisture aging, conditions that can be expected as a result of climate change.